"Rumpelstiltstkin"

by Donna Diamond, retold from the Brothers Grimm, YR, 1983, 28p, rating=2
Source: library
Book image:  personal scanned copy of book I read from
*SPOILER ALERT*

Locked in a room and ordered to spin straw into gold for the king, the miller's daughter gets help from a strange little man -- but only on the condition that she give him her firstborn child. The classic tale of Rumpelstiltskin is vividly brought to life in this new edition. (Goodreads, partial)

I liked the illustrations by Donna Diamond ...very pretty pencil drawings.  I don't however like this edition's ending!  Oh my, that was disturbing.  If I read that when I was a kid I'd sure to have nightmares!  Other than, this was an interesting folk tale.  It gives room for moral interpretations. 

What morals can you find in the tale's events?:

• The miller boasted to the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold so he would look important.
• The miller's daughter really couldn't spin straw into gold.
• However the king believed the miller and had the miller's daughter locked in a room to do the task or she shall be killed.
• Rumpelstiltskin, the fairy, comes to the rescue and spun the straws into gold in exchange for the miller's jewelry.
• The king was happy and had her do it again, but in a much bigger room with much more straws.
• The miller's daughter was out of jewelry so Rumpelstiltskin made a deal to spin the straw into gold for the miller's daughter's once again but this time for her first born child to be.
• The miller's daughter agreed in order to save her life.
• The king married the miller's daughter.
• Later they have a baby so Rumpelstiltskin came to the queen to claim the child.  The queen pleads to keep the child.
• Rumpelstiltskin offers her a chance to keep her child if within 3 days she can guess his name.
• The queen seeks help from servants to figure out the name.
• Rumpelstiltskin in a stroll sings a song that tells his name.
• It happens that he was overheard by the queen's servants.
• The queen was then able to correctly give Rumpelstiltskin when he asked so the queen got to keep her baby.
• Upset, Rumpelstiltskin drove one foot into the ground until it sank to his waist and tears himself into two when he pulled his other foot.

Perhaps: 

• Don't lie
• Be happy with what you have
• Don't be greedy
• Be careful what you say
• Think about consequences

How about you?  What do you see?

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